The New Class of Topicals That Promise Injectable-Like Results

Lately I’ve noticed that simply using a
skin-hydrating, collagen-boosting, discoloration-erasing, light-diffusing
moisturizer is so 2016. The newest crop of anti-aging creams are going where no
topical has gone before, claiming to give injectable-like results, from advanced
mechanisms that deliver hyaluronic acid deeper into the skin for a filled look
to peptides that subtly “freeze” away your fine lines and wrinkles like a gentler Botox.

Just living up to these claims on their
own seem like a pretty tall order, but factor in a price tag that can sometimes
hit north of $1,000, and it feels criminal to recommend any of these
products without giving them a whirl and seeing for myself if they worked as well as they claim to.

The
latest injectable-replacing (possibly?) product to come across my desk is the
biggest launch from luxury skin care brand Natura Bissé in four years, and is the latest innovation from their Inhibit line. Formed in 2003 (partly as a response to the then newly-approved injectable, Botox), the Inhibit line of products always aimed to give the injectable user another option. The new Inhibit High Definition treatment pairs a daily intensive serum with weekly patches and uses a blend of 71 percent active ingredients and a precise delivery mechanism to correct expression lines, fill wrinkles, hydrate, tighten
and reform the appearance of the skin.

“Two
ingredients, Octomioxyl (an ingredient proprietary to Natura Bissé) and conotoxin, inhibit expression lines, and when
combined in this formula, work together creating a synergy that increases the
action of both.” Natural Bissé’s senior
VP of research and innovation, Patricia Fisas, tells me when I ask her exactly how the serum works. “Octamioxyl
consists of an exclusive sequence of eight amino acids that intervenes in the
mechanism of muscle cell contractions. Conotoxin,
a neuropeptide, limits the sodium flow to the muscle cell. Sodium is an
essential mineral needed to initiate muscle contraction, so the lack of the
ingredient prevents muscle movement and reduces express line formation.” The serum,
however, doesn’t stop at simply freezing away lines—it further softens them
using a triple weight hyaluronic acid complex, specially formulated both for
deeper penetration into the skin and optimal binding to plump and add volume. In addition, six different growth factors work to revitalize skin and increase suppleness and elasticity.

Like
any beauty consumer researching an ingredient, I typed the word “conotoxin”
into Google. A 2006 study from the NIH shed some interesting light on how the ingredient
worked. The peptide is derived from marine cone snails, which uses the powerful
toxin to numb and paralyze their prey. For medical researchers, the ingredient
is in high demand, as it can quickly target neuroreceptors and shut off, among
other things, transmitters that control pain and movement. This class of
ingredients have plenty of medical uses, including paralyzing muscles during
surgery. In cosmetics, conotoxin and synthetic versions of the ingredient are commonly used in the new wave of creams that are marketed as a
Botox-alternatives.

After
carefully washing my face (at $750 a bottle, I was not about to have the Inhibit
serum mix or sit on top of 10-hour old foundation), I smoothed a pump of product
all over, taking care to work it into my forming crow’s-feet and nasolabial
folds. Like most Natura Bissé products, the serum had a light scent best described
as “luxurious” and a silky-smooth texture that absorbed quickly without leaving
behind greasy residue. In addition to the neuro-blocking technology, the serum
contains nurturing ingredients such as different weights of hyaluronic acid,
vitamins, growth factors and cholesterol that work to plump, hydrate, rejuvenate
and give skin a visible filled look. Although the “freezing away” of wrinkles
is neither immediate nor as dramatic as a shot of Botox to the area would
yield, the serum left skin looking plumper, healthier and more radiant after
just a few uses—a surface-retexturing and skin-improving effect that goes above
and beyond what an injectable could achieve.

“Many people have reservations about injecting fillers
or paralyzing agents into their face. To
many, it is a very important decision that they do not take lightly, either due
to their aversion to needles or to their own personal fear of side effects, as
well as personal beliefs about aging,” Fisas says. “These products offer an
alternative for people who want noticeable results but in a more natural way
that is noninvasive. But it is also the perfect complement to medical aesthetic
procedures, as it prolongs the results and also extends the time between
sessions. When used as a supplement with injectable like Botox, this action
assists in making the injectable results last longer.”

Ten
minutes after applying the serum, I took out two patches and stuck them on my nasolabial folds. Although I have lines in this area that I consider pretty deep, I’ve
been hesitant about diving into fillers out of fear of ending up with an
overdone, puffy look. The patches contain some of the same ingredients as the
serum, but are formulated into dissolvable, crystallized micro-cones that are
able to physically penetrate the stratum corneum and are absorbed into the epidermis layer of the skin. The patches use a strong adhesive that kept them locked into
the area for the full 120-minute application period, the time it takes for ingredients to dissolve and release into skin. One patch on each side of
my mouth made it difficult to speak or eat, and while the sensation didn’t
hurt, there was a feeling of pressure on the area. As a fidgety person, two
hours of not moving wasn’t the easiest or most comfortable feeling, but with
$22 worth of treatment on each line, I wasn’t about to quit before the optimal
time was up.

When
I removed the patches, I immediately noticed two things: The cones of product
on the patch had flattened and there was no residue on the surface of my skin,
which meant all the ingredients had absorbed and dissolved. Second, at rest, my
nasolabial folds had completely disappeared, leaving behind a nice plumpness
that looked like a blurring filter and been applied to the area. Even after
moving my mouth, the plump effect remained.

The
long-term effects of the treatment duo, of course, can’t be seen after just one
application. A 31-day period before-and-after photo the brand took while developing the
product (above), however, shows what a dramatic effect using the duo treatment can have
on all areas of the face. In the photo, there is an obvious lifting and
tightening effect of the skin (in fact, the jaw shape is completely changed)
and a noticeable improvement in the depth of the nasolabial folds. While a
total smoothing of forehead lines and crow’s-feet aren’t achieved, the results
are dramatic and visible.

I
posed one final question to Fisas. With a combined price of more than $1,000, the system
costs about what a Botox and filler treatment would. “Why would someone opt for
this over an in-office treatment?” I asked.

After
examining the before-and-after photos and looking at my own skin, however, I realized I had my answer. Expecting an over-the-counter topical to do the job of an
injectable is neither realistic nor achievable, but applying a “weaker” form of those medical-grade products does have
one huge benefit. Along with the total smoothing and plumping effects of injectables,
comes a downside—it’s all too easy to slip into the frozen, puffy unnatural
look that is the telltale sign of having had work done. A topical will never
get you to that point, but it can get you some of the same improvements and still let you look like yourself. For
many people, that is what really makes these products worth the purchase.